Monthly Archives: January 2011

I’ve had friends who don’t even watch hockey think this was a brilliant idea and even my one pal, who is the sports editor for Rowan University’s paper in New Jersey and an avid basketball fan was pretty ticked that the NBA didn’t think of it first.

But in our discussion, I brought up the idea that Major League Baseball could really run with this and create a new excitement for it’s Midsummer Classic.

Texas Rangers – Despite losing Cliff Lee, the Rangers still had a very successful offseason. They made a big splash by inking Adrian Beltre to a six-year contract. Beltre brings substantial power – along with a good glove – to a lineup that already includes Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz. The three sluggers should combine to hit over 75 home runs in a very weak American League West division. They also added former Angels catcher Mike Napoli in a trade. Naploi is one of the better catchers in the game and is quite an offensive threat as well. He’s a guy that can hit 25-plus home runs. Napoli along with Hamilton, Cruz, and Beltre gives the Rangers a very powerful offense that should run away with the division crown.

They also bolstered their pitching in a few areas. They added veteran lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes to a one year contract. Rhodes spent 2010 with the Cincinnati Reds going 4-4 with a 2.29 ERA in 69 appearances. He was an All-Star last season and is joining an already talented bullpen that includes closer Neftali Feliz, Darren Oliver, and Darren O’Day. All three pitcher had sub-3.00 ERAs last season and Rhodes just solidifies the Rangers’ bullpen even more. They also took a chance on often-injured starter Brandon Webb. Webb hasn’t really been the same since he won the Cy Young in 2006. He missed almost all of the past two seasons with a devastating right shoulder injury. Webb could turn out to a bargain if he can stay healthy. In his career, Webb boasts an 87-62 record with a 3.29 ERA in eight seasons with the Diamondbacks. He has a great sinker that allows him to be very successful. There is little risk for adding Webb to the Rangers’ staff and if he stays healthy and performs, he could make Rangers fans forget all about Cliff Lee.

Philadelphia Phillies – It’s been made perfectly clear in the past that Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is not afraid to make a big splash. This offseason was no different. The Phillies landed Philadelphia’s favorite son Cliff Lee in a deal that no one in baseball saw coming. Lee signed with the Phillies for less money than he would’ve made in New York or Texas. Lee now gives the Phillies four aces in their starting rotation. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Lee could make up the greatest starting rotation of all time. Each has the potential to win 20 games this season and should help the Phillies run away with the National League East division.

The Phillies also resigned relievers Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero. The bullpen should be fairly strong this season but it will all hinge on the success of closer Brad Lidge. Lidge was rocky in parts of the 2010 season and has been far from perfect since his magical season in 2008. He recorded a 1-1 record with 2.96 ERA and notched 27 saves. There were moments when Lidge looked like his 2008 self and there were others when he looked like a lost cause. One that specifically comes to mind is a walk-off three run home run by Ryan Zimmerman to beat the Phillies on the road. If Lidge can shut the door in the ninth inning, the Phillies’ bullpen should be very good in 2011.

Boston Red Sox -The Red Sox arguably had the best offseason in baseball. They added Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to their lineup and could be the team to beat in the American League this season. I believe this is the year that the Red Sox win the American League East and can give the Yankees some trouble. Gonzalez should thrive at Fenway Park and could use the Green Monster to his advantage. He hit 33 doubles last season and that number should be significantly higher playing in Boston this year. Hitting in a lineup with Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz, Gonzalez gives Boston one of the better power-hitting teams in the majors. Crawford brings significant speed to the lineup as well. He can get on base and swipe bases and really sets the table for the power-hitting portion of the Red Sox lineup. I think both players are well worth adding for Boston and should have them in the driver’s seat in their division.

Losers

New York Yankees – Before the offseason even began, most baseball experts thought it was a foregone conclusion that Cliff Lee would sign with the Yankees. Unfortunately for the Yankees, not everybody can be bought. Lee left millions of dollars on the table and signed with the Phillies. This left the Yankees with no Plan B. Their number one priority this offseason was to sign Lee. When that failed, Zack Greinke was still available and could’ve been had in a trade. However, they passed up that chance and decided to stick with the rotation that they had in place. Even if Andy Pettitte resigns in the Bronx, this offseason was a complete and utter disaster for the Yankees. They were supposed to be the team that made the big splash in the division and put on a claim on the American League crown. However the Red Sox ended up going all out and adding a few All-Stars.

They did improve their already strong bullpen by adding Rafael Soriano – spending almost $12 million a season on a set-up man – and Pedro Feliciano. They were able to resign Derek Jeter which was tense for a few weeks. Russell Martin and Andruw Jones also will be making their way to New York this season. But the area of need was clearly starting pitching and it was simply not addressed. CC Sabathia is a great pitcher and will be a 20-game winner this year. But what do the Bronx Bombers have after their ace? AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes. That doesn’t exactly strike fear throughout baseball.

Washington Nationals – The Nationals made the shocking signing of the offseason when they inked Jayson Werth to a 7-year contract worth a total of $126 million. Werth left the Phillies for the money. That is the only way to look at it. The Nationals do have some nice pieces but it will be years before they can able to be relevant in the National League. Werth took this contract because it was likely the largest one he would see in free agency. It just makes little sense for the Nationals to throw all that money at Werth and they won’t even be competing anytime soon. They’re throwing $126 million at a guy who is over 30 years old already and has never even driven in 100 runs in a season. This move may have made more sense if they had held onto Adam Dunn. But Dunn signed with the White Sox and Washington replaced him with Adam LaRoche. The Nationals improved a little bit but they certainly didn’t need to throw that kind of money at a guy like Werth.

Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays subtracted a significant amount of talent during the offseason. They traded starter Matt Garza to the Chicago Cubs for prospects. They lost relievers Rafael Soriano, Joaquin Benoit, and Grant Balfour to other teams via free agency. Their only significant signings were Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez who were both signed to one-year contracts. They can help the Rays somewhat and will help improve the lineup. But after losing all the pitching that they did, they didn’t do much of anything to make up for those losses. Garza was one of the starters that threw a no-hitter last season. He also was very strong during their World Series run in 2008. The bullpen is now very weak and their offense is getting worse. I just don’t see how the Rays can compete this season.

EDITORS NOTE (John Russo): I disagree with calling the Rays losers. Yes they lost some key players but they filled those holes with Damon and Ramirez who I think will be complete bargains. They have dominated the AL East their entire careers and coming back to that division and playing 81 games in a park they dominated plus 18 in Yankee and Fenway combined, expect Ramirez and Damon to keep the Rays in the pennant race. Their pitching is still strong and very young. David Price will have an unbelievable season in 2011.

With the Yankees being a weak team in my opinion, look for Tampa to be that gnat in the Red Sox ears this season.

Winning is everything to some. In this week’s column, I compiled a team of players who have not tasted glory in their careers despite putting up some great numbers.

Here are some excerpts from the list, highlighting a current and former Phillies.

DH: Jim Thome – Big Jim probably has been teased the most time with a championship. He was traded from the Phillies to the White Sox in 2006, the year after they won the World Series. Two years later, the Phils won the World Series. In 2009 when with the Dodgers, the Phils prevented him from making the World Series. And last year, the Twins fell flat on their faces in the playoffs.

But his career is nothing short of amazing. One of the only true hitters that came out of the steroids era untainted (like Guerrero), Thome hit .278 and is only 11 big flies away from the very prestigious 600 mark. If I could pick only one person on this list to win a ring, it would be Thome (yes, even over the next guy who is currently playing on my Phils). He was a five-time All-Star, Silver Slugger winner and (my favorite) a Roberto Clemente Award winner in 2002.

SP: Roy Halladay – Doc won’t be on this list for long. Call it homerism if you want but I would be a fool to think that the Phillies will not win another World Series with this group of players. He made his playoff debut last season, ending any speculation as to whether or not he could be a playoff pitcher with no-hitting the number one offense in the NL in Cincinnati.

Halladay is a two-time Cy Young winner, winning one in each league. He’s thrown a perfect game and playoff no-hitter, both in 2010. He’s a seven-time All-Star and has led both the AL and NL in wins. He’s arguably the best pitcher in the game so it’s easy to say he’s the best pitcher to never win a ring.

He is the President of a Major League Baseball team. Not just any team but his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

David Montgomery, who grew up in Roxborough, PA just outside of Philadelphia, was born and raised in Philadelphia. He grew up watching the local professional Philadelphia teams play.

He graduated from William Penn Charter High School, went to University of Pennsylvania. He started working for the Phillies some 30 years ago.

Phillies president, David Montgomery, speaks at a press conference four years ago.

On Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 he spoke a capacity crowd at Springfield Township High School in Erdenhiem, PA. He was a featured speaker in a “Local Gems” program that the Township runs, highlighting local celebrities and famous people who have made an impact on the township and the community.

Montgomery spoke about his job as President of the Phillies, and what his job entitles. As well as spoke about what makes this franchise unique. Fan support, as Montgomery stated during his discussion, has helped the franchise become successful both on and off the field.

“The players can ‘feel’ the fans,” Montgomery stated and continued, “One of the things that Cliff Lee mentioned was the fact that the fans don’t need a teleprompter to get loud.”

He said the players notice the fans, and notice that they travel well. Whether it’s as many Phillies as Nationals fans in D.C. or Phillies fans out west, everywhere they go, the team always sees Phillies fans, Montgomery stated.

“It’s that passion for sports in Philadelphia,” he said. “Whether it’s at home or on the road or even at Spring Training at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Phillies fans travel excellently.”

Montgomery started to talk about Spring training in Clearwater. Bright House Field, the Phillies single-A and Spring Training site in Clearwater, has been averaging greater than capacity (8,000). The average attendance at Bright House Field during Spring Training, according to President Montgomery? 9,100 on average. That’s 114% filled on average. In other words, it’s sold out thanks to not only the seats inside the stadium, but the grassy areas outside of the outfield fences.

Of course, one of things that he mentioned, was the big league ballpark: Citizens Bank Park. This is the 8th season that the Phillies have played there. According to Montgomery, one of the main points with the ballpark and attendance, is that ballpark’s design is appealing to fans. It’s intimate design and close proximity to the field gives, Citizens Bank Park a Minor League Baseball feel, but at the Major League level. Montgomery credits Standing Room tickets and the fans who are willing to stand for two-plus hours to watch a game.

“Another factor with fan support is the demographics of the fans. We focus on a two-pronged design: hardcore + family and the young adults.” As he stated, the demographics of Phillies fans have changed a lot since 2000 – even 2004.

Now, more and more young adults are attending Phillies games as a place to meet, be seen at, or a cheap date, etc. Montgomery continued on the young adults: “those young adults, we hope eventually become the family fans, who take their kids with them and teach them the sport of baseball.”

There is no doubt about it that Phillies fans are some of the most passionate fans in the league. Montgomery noted this and said, “because of the fan support, it makes Philadelphia a premier destination for players. Roy Halladay waived a no-trade clause to come play in Philadelphia. Roy Oswalt did the same. And Cliff Lee (this offseason) spurned more money to come play here.”

Not only, but he mentioned the atmosphere of the clubhouse, from Charlie Manuel to the rest of the players. “Players focus on the overall success of the team, not their own individual success,” he noted.

Chase Utley was a key player he mentioned, “no one plays the game like Utley. His focus on the game…” Montgomery gives credit to the plays by saying, “the players respect game by focusing on team success and that the players “get it” by just focusing on the game.

Montgomery credits Charlie Manuel for the team’s success. “He’s had a lot to do with the success. It’s his approach… his ‘style’ as well as the coaching staff he utilizes. Charlie pretty much has handed over the pitching staff to Rich Dubee; and the pitchers know that when they talk to Dubee, they are talking to Charlie,” he mentioned.

Montgomery gave a look forward into the future. “To look ahead, the goal is to extend current success as long as possible.”

Part of this, as Montgomery noted, was to maintain the current nucleus of ballplayers as well as the tone in the clubhouse. He mentioned the change in ball club dynamic.

“In years prior, it was built for offense, with guys like Chase, Ryan [Howard], and Jimmy [Rollins]. Now it’s built towards pitching, with Doc [Halladay], Roy [Oswalt], Cole, and Cliff.”

He even gave the reasoning behind GM Ruben Amaro Jr. going after Cliff Lee: “it was because, we have Oswalt for one more year with a mutual option; Cole for two more years; Doc until 2013 with a vesting option (vesting: if he hit’s a certain stat it’s triggered, in this case innings pitched) for 2014; and finally Cliff Lee until 2015 with an option for 2016.” He also picked up on the fact that both Rollins and Raul [Ibanez] were free agents. “We would love to re-sign Jimmy [Rollins]…”

For the nucleus of this ball club he gives credit to the farm system and the scouting/player development departments.

“The goal is to be able to produce enough inside the farm for use with the big league club or for use in trades,” Montgomery said.

He even admitted that the Phillies were not rich in top level prospects at the three major stops: Lehigh Valley, Reading, and Clearwater. But he did mention some current prospects: Dom Brown; a shortstop prospect at Reading named Freddy Galvis; and relief prospects Vance Worley and Justin DeFratus. But he stated that the next group of talent was at least 2 to 3 years away from the Major League level and that they are not going to sit around and wait that long.

Mr. Montgomery has had nothing but praise for GM Ruben Amaro Jr. He even credited him with some of the current success that the franchise is having. Most people know that, Ruben Amaro Jr. was a local talent.

But as Montgomery stated, “it was Ed Wade who convinced Ruben to stop playing baseball and come up to the front office as an advisor to him. His years under Wade and Pat [Gillick] compliment him now.”

And it’s not just that it’s the business aspects. “The fans view the players not just as talent, but as people too.” Majority, if not all of the current Philadelphia Phillies, according to Montgomery are heavily involved inside the community of Philadelphia. He also mentioned the reason behind the cap on season tickets: “it was so there could be more for our group and individual ticket sales”.

After Montgomery finished his talk and the Question/Answer segment, he was kind enough to sit down with me to answer some questions.

BM: “What’s the deal with [Jamie] Moyer? Do you know what his plans are?”

DM: As you know, he recently had Tommy John Surgery on his left arm. He is going to rehab as if he is going to pitch again, just not this season… in 2012. Of course he will be age 50. He would also like to expand into broadcasting if he can not pitch again as well as help the expansion of his charity, Camp Erin into 25 major league cities (cities with at least one MLB team).

BM: “Tell me about this Scoreboard upgrade”

DM: In ‘04 when Citizens Bank Park first opened it was only Standard Definition, since no one even thought about High Def. But if would of waited until ‘06, it would have been High Definition. It got to the point where the SD Scoreboard became too much to operate and service, thus the upgrade.

BM: “Your thoughts on the right field situation with Werth leaving”

DM: As you know, we made an offer to Werth. It was a three year with an option for a fourth year. He obviously left. But we feel that given the proper at bats, Ben Francisco can become a more significant hitter with more at bats. Of course, there is Dom Brown who is also going to play a big part. We also have a AAA prospect in John Mayberry as a right-handed bat, and of course we can use [Ross] Gload for Werth’s production with the bat.

BM: “Alright, how about your thoughts on Joe Blanton”

DM: Blanton is going to be the fifth starter. We are just fine with Blanton as our fifth starter or whoever else it made be: Kendrick or Worley.

BM: “Okay, fun time! If you could pick any five pitchers, current or retired, who would you pick?”

DM: I stick within our franchise. I go with some of the starters I’ve seen. Robin Roberts, Hall of Famer; Steve Carlton, Hall of Famer; and Roy Halladay, future Hall of Famer. I’ll stop there.

BM: “What do think will happen first: Flyers winning the Stanley Cup, the Eagles winning a Super Bowl or any of the Phillies starters throwing a no-hitter/perfect game?”

DM: The Flyers have a good shot at winning the Cup this year.

BM: “What would you be doing if you weren’t the President of the Phillies?”

DM: I don’t know. I was a marketing major in college.

BM: “Finally, what is it like being President of the hometown team?”

DM: It is like a dream come true.

David Montgomery has one of the most interesting jobs in the world: president of a MLB team. But it’s not just any team; his hometown team in Philadelphia. He is grateful that he has been with the Phillies for so long and he looks to help continue the current success of the franchise into the years to come. I would like to personally thank him for sitting down with me to answer my questions.

For eight years, Vladimir Guerrero tormented the Philadelphia Phillies. The future Hall of Famer could turn that success into a way to help both parties reach the same goal: a World Championship.

Guerrero batted .371 in 91 games (326 at-bats) with 31 homers and 84 RBIs in his entire career against the Phillies. Those are absurd numbers. He’s also 6-for-12 with three homers and five RBIs in Citizens Bank Park. It’s a small sample size but it is par to his success in Philadelphia.

OF/DH Vladimir Guerrero is Hall of Fame bound even without a ring. But if he comes to Philly, he could add that final chapter to his already stellar career.

Instead of groaning when Vladdy comes to town, I would like to see him thrive in red pinstripes. There are a number of questions being asked about Guerrero. Can the knees of Guerrero, who will be 36 next month, hold up playing in the National League without the designated hitter? Will he be a good producer for the Phillies or just a liability? Can the Phils afford to spend more money?

To answer the first question, there is no doubt that the answer is “no.” Guerrero’s age and knees cause for great concern for me, especially if considering him to play 150 games in 2011 as a full-time starter. But that is why I have no problem with platooning him with three of the other outfielders.

The Phils currently have spots for the starting eight and five-six hitters on the bench. This could open up doors for a platoon. Raul Ibanez is already on the decline and if Ben Francisco gets to split time with Ibanez, it could benefit both by keeping Raul fresh and allowing Ben-Fran, who was hurt by a lack of at-bats last season, to stay consistent as a hitter. Where Guerrero comes in is platooning with Dom Brown in right. Guerrero is the perfect hitting mentor to Brown. Both are lanky and when in his prime, Guerrero was athletic, stealing over 30 bases twice in his career and at least 10 in four more. Watching Brown play a little last season, it reminded me of a young Guerrero. How perfect it would be to have them both in the same clubhouse.

If the Phillies decide to sign Guerrero, his knees could definitely hold up if he shares a role with Brown or Francisco. This comes to my next question: what can he provide for the Phils? If he splits time with the other outfielders, he could give the Phils a dangerous player off the bench or as a starter to protect Ryan Howard. The Phils relied on consistency in their line up but I think with a different approach to their team’s chemistry – a little thing called pitching – they can afford to mix it up.

He’s never hit below .295 in his career and only hit below 20 homers once in a shortened season. Guerrero can give the Phillies 20+ homers and bat close to .300. He hit .300 last season with 29 homers and 115 RBIs while DHing for the Rangers in 150 games. Guerrero was finally a piece on a contender in Texas last season and I’m sure he would welcome a chance to play for the Phillies and get that elusive ring just like Ibanez is still working on with the Phils.

The last question is if the Phils can afford him. If they sign Guerrero, they would have to trade Joe Blanton. I’m sure if Ruben Amaro offers to pay some of Blanton’s $8.5 million, they could ship him off. I don’t think Guerrero would be demanding more than $6 million to be a role player on a serious competitor.

The Phillies need Guerrero and Guerrero will find out he needs a team like Philly. Ruben, ya gotta make it happen.

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirerreported on Twitter that the Phillies will have 10 Spring Training games televised on local networks and two games shown on ESPN. Nothing was said yet on which games will be locally and nationally televised but it can be easy to speculate the opening match-up with the Yankees will be one of them.

UPDATE: Gelb posted the 12 games up on The Phillies Zone, the Inquirer blog he and Bob Brookover currently run.

Here is a sample of this week’s column published on the D League. It is about how I respect the hell out of athletes, especially pro baseball players, who give back to the communities they play in. I list a bunch of Phillies as examples.

That is why I love hearing in the news about all the incredible things that Major League ball players do for their community, especially on my team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

In 2009, Ryan Howard started up the Ryan Howard Family Foundation in which their mission is to help improved the lives of disadvantaged youth and families through a strong education, healthy and fitness. One of the first things Howard’s foundation did in 2009 was donate a $50,000 grant to a North Philly park to restore it’s baseball diamonds.

Howard has also done wok in the Boys and Girls Club of America along with Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. This past year, Victorino launched his own foundation and their first act was pledging $900,000 to renovate the Boys and Girls Club of Nicetown in Philly.

Other non-baseball related charities done by Philadelphia athletes include Brad Lidge and Chase Utley doing multiple things for the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Rollins’ many charities like the Basebowl Tournament that raises money to help families through arthritis an, JRoll’s Aces for disadvantaged students excelling in class and JRoll’s Readers to honor the top 50 readers from the Philadelphia area. Utley and his wife also have a charity for abused animals and Hamels and his wife have a charity that focuses on the education of students across the country and internationally. The Hamels’ are working on building a school in Malawi, Africa.

UPDATE: The guys at the 700 Level got a hold of what the new scoreboard is going to look like. Along with David Murphy’s story, here are some more facts about the new scoreboard, which looks very sharp indeed.

The scoreboard will be a $10 million upgrade. Kiss Joe Blanton goodbye.

It will be the largest in the NL when completed and will measure 76 feet high and 97 feet wide. Yea, it will still be cooler than Jerry Jones’ over-sized tacky piece of crap in Dallas.

It will nearly triple the size of the previous video display screen. That means we can get all of Blanton’s body on the scoreboard, that is if he’s a Phillies in 2011 (Get it? A fat guy just made a fat joke!).

The original board will be moved to Bright House Field in Clearwater, FL where the Phils hold spring training. I guess it’s the closest some of these minor leaguers will get to being on the Phils scoreboard.

The display could feature 49 life-size Phillie Phanatics standing next to and on top of each other. That’s still not enough Phanatics.

Weight: approximately 84,420 lbs. (42.2 tons or three C.C. Sabathia’s and two Prince Fielders).

Approximately 32,363 feet (6.1 miles) of wiring will deliver power and data to the new display. Yea I can’t think of anything funny to say to this but that’s a helluva lot of wiring.

Jan 11: Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirertweeted last night that the Phillies are installing a new Hi-Definition score board, replacing the old LCD one that’s been up since the Park opened in 2004.

The scoreboard is supposedly going to be a little bigger than the previous one as well.